Circadian Transplant

The first successful transplant of a circadian rhythm into a naturally non-circadian species could lead to precisely timed release of drugs and other innovative therapeutic applications. In this video, gut bacteria (E. coli) exhibit a circadian rhythm after circadian oscillators were transferred from cyanobacteria. The ‘mother cell’ at the top blinks on and off with a 24 hour cycle, visualized through the use of a fluorescent protein marker.